America and the Russian-Georgian War

This article analyzes the consequences of the 2008 Russian-Georgian war and the unfocused US response to that war. It describes the negative tendencies in both Russian behavior and European security that were illuminated by the war, and concludes that the West, including the United States, suffered serious geopolitical defeats, with consequences that have not yet been remedied or overcome. Therefore, the West's security situation vis-à-vis Russia and Central Eurasia remains fraught with potential serious dangers.